Interesting prompts ...
to start a conversation going ...
as and when you might need one ...
a diversion to talk about

Sunday, 1 April 2012

A is for Alfred’s Castle, Berkshire

Alfred’s Castle is an Iron Age hill fort near the Ridgeway – one of the ancient trackways used before the Roman roads criss-crossed our land – which passes near many Neolithic, Iron Age and Bronze Age sites as it goes from Lyme Regis to Hunstanton: I liken this track as “a Bishop’s move in chess" – a diagonal cut across the body of England to East Anglia.

Lyme Regis is on the Dorset coast of south England (home of Jane Austen’s The Cobb in Persuasion and The French Lieutenant’s Woman, by local writer John Fowles) to Hunstanton, Norfolk on The Wash.

The hill fort dates from 6th C BC and has been authenticated by the ‘cropmark’ – an area of land where the crops grow in better conditions (over a ditch), or worse conditions (over a wall)... depending on the underlying abandoned prehistoric site ...

Alfred won a great victory against the Vikings at the Battle of Ashdown (8 Jan 871) – which probably deterred the Danes from striking further west into Wessex.

Alfred had needed his Saxon troops and to call them he (according to legend) used the nearby Blowing Stone – an ancient perforated sarsen stone – which generated a booming sound around the countryside – thus summoning his men to defend their homes.

Grim's Ditch in Spring
on the Ridgeway near Alfred's Castle

Alfred’s men gathered at the valley-fort now called Alfred’s Castle. The site is being excavated by Oxford University Archaeology Department from which more historic information will become known.

That is A for Alfred’s Castle ... originally an early Iron Age fort, six thousand years before the Romans reached our shores ... part of the ABC series Aspects of British Castles

70 comments:

Interesting post and at least I know the Ridgeway and the castle here. I have even been to Blowing Stone :) Lucky we did not live far away when we were at Wantage. Looking forward to B. Have a great day Diane

Aren't you a good girl with the short post as instructed. Here I was with my cup of tea ready to settle to one of Hilary's long and enjoyable posts and you've nipped it in the bud. Love it all. Lyme Regis. Lovely.

I'm pretty sure you would have visited me anyway, maybe, probably, but just letting you know Ann is on mine today.

I have a book somewhere about walking the Ridgeway. I always planned to do a chunk of it at some point in my life - but I'm starting to think it won't ever happen. I've done a few of the sites along it - but never visited this one. Thanks for the photos and information.

@ Diane - funny I should pick a Castle you do know a little about! Wantage always looks a lovely place to visit ...

@ Lisa - Hope you'll continue to enjoy the theme and names

@ Yvonne - yes, Lyme Regis is near you .. isn't it ..

@ Julie - many thanks, hope you'll be happy with the rest ..

@ Gail - good to meet you - yes I couldn't resist the photo of bluebells in Grim's Ditch - I'm sure there are ghosts around there riding and walking the byways ...

@ Jessica - are there - I'm doing Castles .. and I know another British chap who is doing the same .. whether we match up with our selections - we shall see ..

@ Pa-ul .. I'm not sure if that's your name - and I struggled to work my way through to your blog postings - you're obviously very technical .. and I couldn't find you on the A - Z list .. but welcome regardless ... your meet up and Care for Arts is interesting ..

@ Denise - I'm trying to keep them all reasonably short .. one or two have an extra para in -- for my sake! I couldn't ask people to 'endure' 26 of my long ones - though I could easily write them!! Sorry you didn't have time for tea!!

Yup - I've been over and learnt more about the amazing woman who is Ann Best .. great idea you had for the challenge

@ Amanda - I hope I can tempt you to visit some of the castles I'll be posting on ... England's got so much to offer ..

@ Paula - I have one or two from the north and Scotland ... you might have some salient additions to add ..

@ Anne - I think walking the Ridgeway sounds a great idea, a bit like the South Downs Way from here (Eastbourne to Winchester) .. but sadly like you - it'll be short distances for me now! Pleased I could give you a new place to find out about ..

@ Simon - ok well let me know if you've been to them as we go down through April .. fun to read about .. Good to meet you ..

@ Susanne - glad you enjoyed it ..

@ Laura - I loved the thought of a walk along the old route .. with the smell of damp earth and bluebells ... the excavation has been going on for 10 years .. I guess finding the Iron Age Hill Fort was pretty exciting ... the pits will hold invaluable forensic evidence .. yes it would be good for an update ..

@ BayGirl - good to see you again .. a few people writing fairy stories .. the 'ditch' would be a good draw into the woods for some poor unsuspecting soul ...

I'm afraid I always found these forts to be so uninteresting, I remember visiting at least one in Devon, don't remember where, I was on my first honeymoon at the time. Just a flat area with possibly a wall or some terracing. For me a castle has to have some walls at least. Rochester castle comes to mind. I wonder what the excavations will discover. Grim's Ditch looks lovely though, I miss bluebells.

I like the idea of sounds that give instant information to all. The blowing stone. Like a church bell that gives a message to everyone. All fore-runners of the modern day TV news and you didn't even have to turn on the TV. :) Have fun with the A-Z.

@ Karen - great news - a longish journey around Britain .. should be fun though ..

@ Jeremy - hope you continue to enjoy the virtual trip .. thank you!

@ Glynis - you'll find some interesting castling facts along the way ..

@ Jo - I tend to agree .. but we know such more now - I find it fascinating being able to read up about them and learn about those times.

I agree re castles with walls - but I wanted to write something different and cover different parts of England .. and if I did 26 posts of castles with walls - I'd be bored!! Glad you appreciate Grim's Ditch though ... and the info re the blowing stone ..

@ Manzanita - yes you're right .. and the buglers in the army, or horns, or the fluttering banners giving messages to the battalions .. interesting our ways of communication ..

@ Birdie - it appears that Grim is one of the many names for the Anglo-Saxon god Woden (Odin) and meaning "the masked one" ... so there are a number of Grim's Ditches, Grim's Dykes etc around England ..

@ Monti - yes .. it always amazed me when I came over for the 200th anniversary in 1976 - and Americans were raving about how old everything was .. I found it difficult to hold my tongue with our ancient history ... which of course isn't as old as Persia, India and China .. glad you enjoy the stories ..

Thanks for a great post Hilary. I love that pathway on the right hand side. It must be very peaceful to walk there.How is your Mom? Hadn't had a chance to read or write a lot lately, but this A to Z challenge is one thing I like to keep up with. Take care of yourself Cheers:)

See? I told you I would learn stuff over here! That pic of Grim's Ditch is so beautiful. Alfred's Castle is amazing. It would be awesome to be there during the excavation, wouldn't it? Great post, Hilary! :-)

Hey Hilary,How's it goin' 'a'? Seriously, I'm delighted that once again, you are using a bit of imagination in this challenge that basically sees me lose a bunch of my blogging friends for a month as they get involved with it all.I was hoping you would start with Alfred's Castle and thus, you didn't disappoint. Wanted to let you know, on a side note, that your comment on my site in regards to my satirical slant on this A to Z thingy, has vanished. It shows up in an email but not on my blog. Very weird and I'm getting very angry with blogger.Take care and I shall 'b' back :)

Great post! So glad that I stumbled across your blog! I was brought up in a family obsessed with history and was taken to castles when I was a baby and have grown up ever since just loving them. I live in Wales so there are alot of castles dotted around here. I went on a family trip to North Wales a few years ago and we visited numerous castles; Caernarfon, Conwy, Beaumaris, Dolbadarn. Just amazing. I couldn't believe the size of Caernarfon Castle!

Not too far away from me is Caerphilly Castle and the folly Castell Coch. I just love castles and history and am now your newest follower :) Really looking forward to your posts throughout the month!

Now that's one I never heard of. Actually I've probably never heard of hardly any of the castles you're going to talk about. That's one of the reason's I like your blog. I learn something new all the time.

Hi HilaryYou know I had to read this one too. I think the History Channel did a series on early wars in Britain and included Alfred. Grim's Ditch doesn't fit my concept of a ditch. It is truly beautiful.Nancyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy

Way to fire off your A, Hilary. Wow, what a fascinating area. I've never seen a castle, but hopefully I will one day. Alfred's sounds worthy of your first letter. For all I know, one of my distant ancestors might have fought at the Battle of Ashdown.

@ Nancy .. I don't see the History Channel - but hope to catch up one day. It's the name I think - bounded by high mounds of earth .. as the path gets worn down over the centuries, the mud etc gets put onto the banks - hence you get a 'ditch' .. but I agree it does look stunning ...

@ Joylene - well it'd be great if and when you get over to show you round .. I wonder how far we could trace our genealogy back .. at least we survived!

Hi Sara - isn't it wonderful - that scenery .. another month and we'll be there ...

Apparently it's by blowing into the perforations at the right angle and with the right volume of air - a booming sound is released .. check out Wiki Blowing Stonehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blowing_stoneI should have used the picture ..

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About Me

A lover of life – who after London, spent time in South Africa; an administrator, sports lover, who enjoys cooking and entertaining ... who through her mother’s illness found a new passion – writing, in particular blogging; which provides an opportunity for future exploration, by the daughter, who has (in her 3rd age years) found a love of historical education. Curiosity didn’t kill this cat – interaction is the key!